This is my 16th year covering Black Friday — here are the best Amazon deals live now

This is global editor in chief Mark Spoonauer sitting in for Louis to help you this Black Friday season. Sometimes it can be hard to tell whether a Black Friday deal is just hype, but there’s one great tool that a lot of people don’t know about. It’s called CamelCamelCamel, and it lets you track the price history on virtually every product that Amazon sells. 

Let’s take one of the most popular headphones as an example. Right now the the Sony WH-1000XM4 is listed at $248 on Amazon, which is a very good $100 off. But last year these cans crashed to $228. So it could pay to wait a bit longer for the price to drop even more. CamelCamelCamel will tell you at a glance the lowest and highest price ever, so you can decide whether to shop now or later. 

Allow me a quick detour from deals to talk about Tom Brady’s smoothie recipe. Fitness Writer Jessica Downey drank the same smoothie as Tom Brady every morning for a week to great results. This quick and easy breakfast recipe helped her feel satiated and increased her protein intake. Best of all, it tasted great.

For anyone who wants to jump on the smoothie train, I’ll share some deals on the best blenders. The Breville Super Q Blender is $460 at Amazon ($89 off) for Black Friday if you’re ready to splurge. Or the Ninja Professional Plus for $71 at Amazon is a great blender with plenty of power for shoppers on a smaller budget. This one is $48 off (remember to click the on-page coupon for the full discount.)

I’m not the sportiest person out there, but if you are, you should check out this Black Friday Garmin Epix Gen 2 deal. Our U.S. Editor-in-Chief, Mike Prospero can attest to how great it is because he wears it every day. Its large AMOLED display makes it easy to read while you’re on the go, plus it has super long battery life and built-in music storage. Being a sports watch, it also tracks your activity and can help you keep on top of your fitness goals.

This is the best time of year to curl up with a good book, right? However, take this tip from me: wait until tomorrow to buy a new Kindle. All the Kindle models are on sale at Amazon right now, but most of them are hovering slightly above all-time price lows. I’d wait until tomorrow to see if they get even cheaper on Black Friday itself. The exception to the rule is the Kindle Scribe (16/Basic Pen) for $239 at Amazon — this Kindle is at its lowest price ever.

When my shift is over, I’m looking forward to kicking back and relaxing with my Nintendo Switch. I’m definitely checking out my colleague Rory Mellon’s coverage of the GameStop Black Friday sale in the meantime. As it turns out, it’s the perfect time to pick up a games console or some new games for the holiday break.

Here’s the earbuds deal I have my eye on this Black Friday — the Bose QuietComfort Ultra for $249 at Amazon. They’re currently at their lowest price ever and they’re the best noise-cancelling earbuds we’ve reviewed. I’d love to get a pair of these as my current earbuds don’t do much in the way of blocking outside sound, and when it comes to ANC Bose can’t be beat. In our review, we said these earbuds “take immersive audio to the next level.”

Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds: was $299 now $249 @ Amazon

Hi, everyone! Millie Davis-Williams, Deals Writer for Tom’s Guide here. I’ll be with you for the next few hours sharing more Black Friday deals.

If you’re tempted to upgrade your phone right now, don’t miss this epic Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Black Friday deal. Shop with Samsung and you can get up to $800 off the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra with trade-in. Plus, you can get up to an additional $300 off with Samsung’s offer programs (these apply to students/educators, US government employees, military, first responders and other employees of partnering companies.)

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: up to $800 off w/ trade-in @ Samsung

Small confession: I know jack about cameras. Fortunately, our cameras editor Peter Wolinski is an expert and he’s reviewed plenty of today’s best mirrorless cameras.  If you’re like me and a total newbie in the world of cameras, Peter has created a Black Friday guide to the best camera deals available right now. There’s something for everyone in his guide from fun cameras like the Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 to Sony’s vlogging camera for online content creation.

Black Friday camera deals

Here’s something you don’t see very often. Right now Walmart has the Sony WF-1000XM5 Earbuds on sale for $239, which is their lowest price ever. Our audio editor Lee Dunkley spotted that Walmart has the lowest price and it’s beating Amazon’s price by $9. It’s not often that Amazon doesn’t price match its competitors. Nevertheless, in his Sony WF-1000XM5 review Lee says he found the smaller and lighter design comfortable to wear for long periods with some of the strongest ANC around.

Sony WF-1000XM5 Black Friday deal

Everything goes on sale during Black Friday, but in my 16 years covering the event there are two things I recommend buying: TVs and mattresses. Mattresses see the biggest price drops of the year in November. Yes, they’re regularly on sale throughout the year, but right now you’ll find the cheapest prices. When it comes to beds, I recommend buying them directly from the brand. They usually offer better deals, return policies, or bundles that retailers don’t offer. That said, Amazon does have a lot of budget beds on sale today including the Lucid. Our sleep expert calls it the best cheap Amazon mattress. The twin, full, and queen sizes are all on sale. For more bed deals, our certified sleep expert Claire Davies has a guide to the best Black Friday mattress deals happening now.

Lucid (queen): was $229 now $183 @ Amazon

There are a lot of runners here at Tom’s Guide (myself included) and if you’re looking for new running gear — you’ve come to the right place. Our fitness expert and runner Jessica Downey has combed through the latest Hoka sale at Amazon to recommend the top products and deals to shop. Her roundup includes hats, sports bras, men’s shorts, and sneakers. 

What to buy in the Hoka Black Friday sale

PERSONAL RECOMMENDATION!
I’ve been using the Ninja CE251 Coffee Maker for over a year now and I love it. In fact, that’s my machine you see in the image above. Here’s why I like it — it’s compact, makes a solid cup of joe, and it’s now at its lowest price ever. I can’t recommend it enough. You can check out my Ninja CE251 hands-on for my full take it on it, but be advised this machine rarely goes on sale (because it’s already so cheap), so take advantage of this deal while you can. 

Ninja 12-Cup Coffee Maker: was $79 now $59 @ Amazon

This is going to be a long post, so bear with me here.

Apple gear is always popular over the holidays. My advice when it comes to Apple deals is to avoid the Apple Store’s Black Friday sale. They announced it last week and it’ll offer from $50 to $200 gift cards with select Apple devices. However, those “select” Apple devices are (with the exception of the Apple Watch 9) previous-gen devices. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with previous-gen devices, but if you want new gear, you’ll find better dollar-off discounts from authorized Apple retailers. For example, the new M3 MacBook Pros won’t be eligible for the Apple Store’s Black Friday promo. However, Amazon has the 14-inch model on sale now for $1,449. That’s a nice $150 off its full $1,599 price. 

However, here’s another tip. Best Buy is beating Amazon’s prices by $50. The catch is you must be a My Best Buy Plus ($49.99 per year) or My Best Buy Total ($179.99 per year) member. If you’re already a member — win! Buy from Best Buy and you’ll enjoy the $50 savings. If you’re like me and you’re not a member, I would suggest joining the cheap tier. You’ll pay $50, but I’ve been impressed by Best Buy’s member only deals this holiday and if you join now, you’ll get to checkout their deals for now through this time next year. I personally plan on buying a new MacBook Pro this year and will join later today. 

14″ MacBook Pro (M3): was $1,599 now $1,449 @ Amazon
14″ MacBook Pro (M3 Pro): was $1,999 now $1,849 @ Amazon
16″ MacBook Pro (M3 Pro): was $2,499 now $2,299 @ Amazon

There are hundreds of sales that are live right now. To make things more manageable, our deals expert Millie Davis-Williams has curated an A-to-Z guide of today’s best sales. Her guide includes top-level deals on apparel, TVs, video games, sneakers, and more. These aren’t just Amazon deals, but sales across various retailers. If you’re just starting your holiday shopping, hit the link below to see what’s out there. 

Where to shop Black Friday deals

When it comes saving money on apparel, my recommendation is to always shop out of season. So I normally shop summer clothes during the winter and vice versa. But I admit, I don’t always get to follow my own advice. So if you’re looking to refresh your winter gear, there are some good apparel deals happening at Amazon today. Adidas in particular has a lot of hoodies, sweatpants, socks, and jackets on sale from $8. I want to call out that Adidas.com also has a 70% off sale happening now for its members (it’s free to join). It’s not an apples to apples comparison though, as they’re selling different items. (The Adidas store is carrying newer styles/apparel). So if you don’t mind not having the 2023 styles — Amazon might have the more aggressive pricing. 

Adidas sale: deals from $8 @ Amazon

RESTOCK GUIDE!
Finding PS5 and XSX stock is pretty easy these days. There are even some solid PS5 Black Friday deals you can find right now. But if you have your eyes on the new PlayStation Portal, well, things aren’t as easy. It’s sold out pretty much everywhere — including Amazon. To be honest, we weren’t huge fans of the device (we gave it just 2/5 stars), but if you have your heart set on it, our deals editor and restock expert Rory Mellon has created a restock guide that’s being updated whenever we find stock. Spoiler: There is no stock right now. However, be sure to bookmark it if you’re looking to buy one this holiday season. 

Where to buy PlayStation Portal

Should I buy now or wait for Cyber Monday? That’s the question I hear all the time. To be honest, it makes no difference. Years ago, things were different. Black Friday was more of a brick-and-mortar event where folks would line up outside stores in the freezing cold weather and wait for those “early bird” specials. That might still happen, but it’s not as popular as it used to be because nowadays the deals are all released online before Black Friday even arrives! 

Meanwhile, Cyber Monday was designed for online retailers (think stores like Newegg.com) that had no brick-and-mortar presence. Again, that’s all changed now. These days, the same deals you see on Black Friday are the same ones you’ll see on Cyber Monday. There are exceptions of course. For example, you might see the Fire TV Stick on sale during Black Friday, whereas the Fire TV Stick 4K Max might be the item on sale on Cyber Monday. But generally speaking — it’s all the same. Black Friday-Cyber Monday have become a span of months rather than just days. So my advice is that if you see the item(s) you want to buy on sale today or tomorrow — buy them. There’s no need to wait. Some stores are offering price guarantees so if the price drops next week, you can request a refund of the difference. (You can follow our Cyber Monday deals roundup here).

Tldr; Black Friday and Cyber Monday used to be different, but these days the sales are basically the same. If you see the item you want on sale now, buy it now because it likely won’t be significantly cheaper next week. 

I love my Lululemon workout clothes, but their stuff is hardly ever on sale. Until now! Our fitness editor/expert Jane McGuire has tested and reviewed fitness gear for over 5 years and she’s just put together a list of items to shop in the Lululemon Black Friday sale. I can also vouch for their Pace Breaker running shorts (they’re light and hold up great during those hot and humid summer/outdoor runs). 

Lululemon Black Friday deals

I’m not a home chef, but I would love to start cooking more. So I’m looking for a new cookware set that’ll inspire me to turn on my stove more often. Our Homes editor Katie Mortram just searched the internet for the best deals right now and found 5 Le Creuset items on sale. Mind you, Le Creuset deals are very hard and rare to find. Personally, that 9-inch cast iron skillet is the item that draws me the most. On a different note, I have no clue what’s in this Le Creuset lifestyle image above, but it looks gooood! (Butternut squash with feta and walnuts, perhaps?)

Le Creuset Black Friday deals

I’m not buying an Apple Watch 9 as my Series 8 is still in solid shape. However, if you’re shopping for a new Apple Watch — this is the best deal you’ll find. Amazon has the Series 9 on sale for $329, which is its lowest price ever. In her Apple Watch 9 review, our smartwatch expert Kate Kozuch said it’s her top pick for the best smartwatch on the market. We rate this slick wearable so highly because of its S9 processor which offers noticeably faster performance, increased brightness and cool new double tap features. 

Apple Watch 9 (GPS/41mm): was $399 now $329 @ Amazon

There are hundreds of deals live at Amazon right now, but if I were to recommend just one category to shop — it would be Alexa hardware. Amazon offers its best discounts on Alexa gear during Black Friday. (Prime Day comes a very close second). Yes, there are a few instances where an Echo speaker might’ve been a few bucks cheaper on Prime Day, but a lot of today’s deals come bundled with a TP-Link Smart Bulb, whereas they didn’t on Prime Day. Additionally, Amazon refreshed its devices back in October so we’re now seeing first-time discounts on Amazon’s upgraded 2023 gear.

Echo device sale w/ Smart Bulb: deals from $17 @ Amazon

Happy Thanksgiving! Deals Editor in Chief Louis here joining you from a chilly Jersey City, NJ. A quick intro: I’ve been covering tech for 20+ years with an emphasis on deals for 16 years. I’ve worked at dealnews.com, Digital Trends, Cnet, Gizmodo, and I’ve been at Tom’s Guide for seven years now. I’m a born-and-bred New Yorker and I refuse to pay full retail for anything. 

Ok, so introductions aside — I know that Black Friday isn’t technically till tomorrow (November 24), but here’s a small secret — there aren’t going to be any major discrepancies between deals you see today and those that’ll appear tomorrow. Black Friday is no longer a 24-hour event, but more of a weeks-long marathon. That said, let’s kick off with some deals…..!